Building comprehension of 'Curiosity' through rich discussion
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can answer a range of comprehension questions on 'Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover'.
Key learning points
- The Curiosity rover’s landing was very complex; there were lots of stages involved.
- Once it had landed safely, Curiosity set off to explore the surface.
- A range of equipment and technology allow the Curiosity to conduct experiments on the surface of the planet.
Keywords
Curiosity rover - a robot explorer sent to Mars by NASA
Purpose - an object's function or job
Common misconception
There are a few possible answers to the question about the "perfect" landing (in the 'Landing on Mars' cycle).
If pupils can justify how the landing went well, with evidence from their reading of the text, it is likely an appropriate justification.
Teacher tip
Pupils may like to conduct further research into the Curiosity rover - this could be set for home learning.
Equipment
You need a copy of the 2023 Walker Studio edition of ‘Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover’ written and illustrated by Markus Motum, for this lesson.
Licence
Lesson video
Loading...
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Which location did the Curiosity rover launch from?
Q2.What was the name of the rocket that helped the rover break through the Earth's atmosphere?
Q3.What did the scientists not want the Curiosity rover to take with it from Earth?
Q4.Match the following words to their definitions.
clean and free from any germs or contaminants
an earlier version or model
something that is used up or consumed and cannot be reused
Q5.Why was the launch date carefully chosen?
Q6.True or False? The only part of the rocket that travelled with the rover was called the module.
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the following keywords to their definition.
a robot explorer sent to Mars by NASA
an object's function or job
Q2.True or False? A Martian sol is longer than a day on Earth.
Q3.How long does the journey last from entering Mars’ atmosphere to landing?
Q4.Match the equipment with its purpose.
to break and examine the consistency of the rocks
to collect samples from beneath the surface of Mars
to detect hazards and safely travel around the Martian landscape
Q5.Which of the following is true?
Q6.True or False? It did not matter where the Curiosity rover landed.
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Building comprehension of 'Curiosity' through rich discussion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 5 English lesson on: Building comprehension of 'Curiosity' through rich discussion, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 2 English lessons from the 'Curiosity: The Story of a Mars Rover': reading unit, dive into the full primary English curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.